I am married with no human kids—just 4 legged fur babies. (Right now we have 4 cats, but have also had horses, dogs, small mammals and so on). I love doing things outdoors when the weather allows—summertime brings swimming, sailing, diving and other outside adventures. Winter is great here in Maine for Alpine Skiing. I socially drink, don’t smoke, and I am always ready to take on new challenges. I also like to steer guests toward local haunts that aren’t listed in guidebooks, and off the beaten path. I know when I visit a place I’ve never been, I try to embrace the culture and the people living it. Lasting memories are made this way!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I realized in my young adult years that if I waited to have money to visit places based on social norms, I’d still be saving and planning for trips! I want to get OUT THERE and DO things, and not just from a visitor’s view. I want to experience destinations like locals. For me, this started in my teens, and I’ve had Wanderlust ever since. There’s really NOTHING like this setup, where you can meet people all over the globe, and make lifetime friends just by spending some time together and do as the do. “When in Rome…..” I usually would be a lone traveler, because my partner is more introverted and would find it difficult to stay with someone they didn’t know. Not me—I see it as an opportunity to learn, have fun, walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, and to feel the differences that vary widely between cultures.

Interests

• horses
• beaches
• learning
• mixology
• creative cooking
• most genres of music

Music, Movies, and Books

Sound of Music, Under the Tuscan Sun, The Beach, Schindler’s List, Jaws, Midnight in Paris, LA Story, The Conjuring, Legend, all the Hobbit, LOTR, POTC, Marvel Universe collection, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, X-Men Series, Die Hard series, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (old version), Edward Scissorhands, (most all Johnny Depp films) Men in Black trilogy, and way too many to list here. Basically, Action/Adventure, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dramas, RomComs, and period (era) movies,

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

It’s hard to pinpoint a SINGLE time, but there are a couple of things that I have done which really helped me understand cultures of other people better. I had gone on mission trips, both inside and outside the USA. The purpose of these missions was to give of ourselves the time and labor needed to get something done to benefit the people who live in those villages and towns. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy helping a dream become a reality for the townsfolk, but I was humbled by the generosity of those who we were helping, especially since we knew that money was tight for them. I think the bottom line with amazing things will usually ALWAYS have the human element. And you can’t learn that from books!

Teach, Learn, Share

I have given myself the monicker of a “forever student of life”. However, when I was growing up, I didn’t have the access to the information that is found so easily online today. We used the archaic “Dewey Decimal System, and the only way for that to really work in a way that could be compared to information gleaned from the internet, people would have to publish a large quantity of books, and be very descriptive with the information which they want to convey. But even that’s a stretch because of the VAST pool of data out there right now. But, it’s better late than never, so here I am, having a chance unlike anything that existed before social platforms did, with Couch Surfing!!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I enjoy making meals, and I have a few specialties that I really enjoy bringing to the table. Literally. Having lived oceanside for the last 15 years of my life, I’ve gotten preparing seafood down to an art form. I can do a really good salmon fillet with lemon butter, grilled/roasted asparagus, and tender glazed carrots. On cold days, I do a really good pot roast, complete with the garlic, onions, carrots, Red Bliss potatoes, rosemary gravy. (This meal ALWAYS have leftovers). Some other dishes I make are chicken cacciatore, a pesto pasta salad, and a lasagna that is really heavy, because I am very generous with the layers. But, I am adamant that a GOOD dish starts with good ingredients and can take a bit of time to bring everything together. Oh, and I have perfected my own recipe for excellent French toast…….good enough to eat for dinner! One thing that I’ve learned from living in New England is that Maple Syrup is put into a LOT of foods, and my French toast is no exception — made with Maple sugar (and other ingredients) and I serve it with maple sausage links. This is also good for cold weather, or a late brunch! I’m not as accomplished as a mixologist as I’d like to be, but I’m working on it.

I’m really good with animals, (I love most animals, and have done barn duties such as watering the horses, cleaning stalls, feeding and exercising them. I also love playing with house pets too.

And I will always pitch in and help, if needed. After all, without hosts, CS wouldn’t even be a thing. I want to do my part to showcase that CS isn’t just a place to crash, but a huge opportunity to make friends for life, and continue to thank those kind souls who offer a place to lay your head at night. Couch Surfers (mostly) are a very unique set of people, very diverse, but all have one thing in common—a sense that there’s already a friendship among us. Even if we haven’t been officially introduced,I would consider them a friend that I just haven’t met yet.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Jamaica, Mexico

Countries I’ve Lived In

Mexico, United States